


The Lions Council

by Destinee Zara (LadyDestineeZara)



Series: The Red Hero Saga [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: All characters (except Pidge) are 18+ unless told otherwise, Gen, Mentions of Sheith, The Lions are soccer moms, just kidding, kinda angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-03
Packaged: 2018-09-06 04:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8734141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyDestineeZara/pseuds/Destinee%20Zara
Summary: Since the Voltron team had find out that Keith is Half-Galra, they had been treating him terribly. The consequences were almost fatal.The Lions of Voltron cannot tolerate that anymore.A fanfic related to chapter 13 of "What Makes a Hero?"





	

**Author's Note:**

> **THIS STORY IS CONNECTED TO CHAPTER 13 OF MY FANFIC "What Makes a Hero?". IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE UNLESS YOU HAVE READ IT FIRST.**
> 
>  
> 
> THIS STORY IS UNEDITED! So, pardon any English mistakes (let me know if you find any). Also, Engrishi is not my first language, so forgive my mistakes if I don’t Engrishi well.
> 
> Just one little note before you start reading:  
> \- [text after dashes] = HUMANS TALKING (A Romance Language custom, I guess)  
> "[Text between quotation marks]" = THE LIONS TALKING TO EACH OTHER  
>  _text in italic_ = THE LIONS TALKING TO THEIR PALADINS
> 
> Now, to the story!

The Lions heard the scream for help among one of their own.

Not a corporeal scream with vibration in the air, but an ethereal one, like their own very essence.

Red was the one screaming.

Blue was the first one to answer, as she was always ready to help her favourite sister.

“Red, sis? What is it? What happened?”

Their essences touched in a familiar embrace. Blue could feel Red’s distress and Red could feel Blue’s worry.

“It is my cub! It is Keith! I need help!”

Black, the Oldest, was the second to get there, her leadership and collected essence trying to soothe Red even before speaking.

Green and Yellow got there almost at the same time. Yellow engulfed all of them in her usual warm presence.

“What happened, Red? Why the alarm?” Black asked with softness.

Red growled, but none of the other lionesses minded (Red was prone to do that).

“It is Keith! I think he is dying!”

Yellow gasped.

“What happened to your little one?”

“He had been shot earlier.”

“So he just have to go to one of the healing pods that the Alteans have.” Green said in a matter-of-fact way.

“I think they are still treating Red’s kitten badly.” Blue added

“But it is insane not to allow one of ours apprentices into a healing pod if they were shot!”

“I know that, Green! But they are been really, really, really, REALLY unreasonable.”

Since they all had run to Red’s encounter, they were reunited around her. They all heard a soft human groan and Red’s paladin calling for her.

 _-_ Red.

They all fell in silence while Red answered almost immediately.

_Yes, my darling?_

\- Do I have a fever?

They all took a good look at him.

Red whimpered.

“What do I answer him?”

Her sisters felt that she didn’t want to lie for her paladin, but Red didn’t want to scare him either.

The Oldest caressed her sister.

“Red, tell him the truth. He is a strong paladin, a strong protégé.”

Red unwilling agree. Black usually knows what to do.

_Yes, my cub. Your temperature had been raising through the night. At first, I thought it was nothing, but you started to worry me._

He blinked, like a little lost kitten. Red felt her heart heavy over that scene and her sisters felt her pain.

\- I don’t know what to do about it. – he said quietly, seeming smaller than ever before.

Red forced some serenity into her senses to keep her paladin calm. Blue and Yellow essences held her sister tighter.

_You must rest. I’ll see what to do._

Keith opened a feverish smile.

\- Thanks, mom.

They all gasped.

(Except for Red. She could almost beam if it wasn’t for worry for her cub).

“He lost his mind!” Green said exasperated.

The Oldest stilled her will. They all felt it, anticipating her orders.

“Blue, Green, Yellow. We go back and call our protégés. Scream until they listen. Force them to understand that the situation is dire.” her tone was solemn, but then she turned to Red with softness “Red, watch your protégé”.

With their orders given, they all part to fulfil their tasks.

On her defence, Blue honestly tried to call for her kitten. However his sleep was too deep and too peaceful. No matter how she screamed she couldn’t reach for him.

(She loved Lance, she truly did, but must that boy ALWAYS sleep with headphones?)

Still wanting to feel useful she went back to Red.

Her sister was singing to her kitten. It was a beautiful sound.

Red sensed her sister presence. She was surprised (and a little scared, even if she wasn’t going to express that).

“Blue?”

Blue soothed her sister essence gently.

“My kitten won’t wake up.” she sighed “Those blasted headphones…”

Red hummed, and kept singing to Keith.

“Want to help me keep my cub calm?”

“I thought you wouldn’t ask, sis”.

Blue and Red sang softly. It was endearing to watch Red with her kitten and Red really didn’t mind showing how much she loved her darling cub.

Green was the first one to be successful on her task of calling her paladin.

After all, her apprentice was prone to sleep very little.

Pidge came running to answer to her call.

\- Green! – the young paladin asked frantically entering the cockpit – What is the matter, girl? What is wrong?

Green made sure to close her mouth with her apprentice inside (so she wouldn’t be able to run away from that conversation).

_Red’s apprentice is wounded! He needs help, Pidge!_

Pidge reaction was immediate.

She glared at the panel, gritted her teeth and closed her hands in fits.

\- Oh, yeah? Good!

Green glared at her apprentice with frustration.

_Pidge, this is insane! You cannot treat another person like that! Regardless of what they are, you cannot deny them medical treatment!_

The human stared at the panel, still in cold anger.

\- Are you done?

 _Not even closer, Katherine._ – Green answered sternly, using her apprentice full real name – _I don’t understand how can you be so heartless towards an innocent person!_

\- He is NOT innocent! He is Galra!

_And you are human! There are things that one cannot control!_

\- He is a spy!

_You have no proof of that!_

\- He must be the one responsible for the Kerberos mission fail! Because of him, my family is lost!

_Katherine, listen to yourself! This is insane! You have no evidence of anything of that you are accusing him! You don’t even listen to what he has to say about it!_

\- I don’t need proof, I KNOW that it is his fault!

Green growled displeased.

_And you claim to be a scientist! How shameful of you!_

Pidge gritted her teeth again.

\- Are you done now?

Green touched her apprentice mind, looking for something, anything, that could make Pidge see how irrational she was being, how biased her conclusions were. She found only a wall that she didn’t know how to break.

Grudgingly, she lowered her head and opened her mouth. None of them spoke.

Black could sense that her protégé was having another nightmare.

She could sense his distress.

She could **always** sense his distress.

The Oldest always liked Red’s protégé. He was the one always there to help her Takashi out of his misery, out of his dark thought and night terrors. She missed how Keith could sooth the pain away from Takashi with a gentle touch and a kiss. Although she admitted that she was a little wary when Red’s boy showed his Galra-hybrid essence (she was still hurt to what Zarkon had done to all of them), she also had to admit that Keith had never acted like anything but the most honourable paladin. Also, by what she had seen and by what Red told them, that boy was, in fact, the most pure lionheart of the five newest paladins.

There was no doubt that they were all lionhearts, but some were already shaped like a lionheart, while others needed a little polishing. Black was proud of all of them, regardless of the shape they had at the moment.

She called for Shiro until he woke up. He was scared and was already looking for enemies. Black could sense that he believed that her call was an alarm of danger, and that was why he put his full armour before running to her encounter.

\- Black! What is the matter? Do we have an attack now? – he asked entering the cockpit and already sitting on the pilot chair, ready to fight.

She passed a soothing hand over his hair.

_There is no attack right now, but we have a serious situation inside the Castle, dearest protégé._

\- What is it?

_One of yours is severely hurt. He needs medical attention immediately._

\- What?! Who? Everyone was fine during debrief!

_Everyone?_

\- Yes! I checked with all the others!

_All the other four members of Voltron?_

Shiro stopped. His expression became hard, but he answered with honesty and cold calmness.

\- I didn’t checked the Galra, if that is what you are worried about.

_He has a name, Takashi. A name you used to call in reverence._

\- Not anymore, and you know it.

_May I ask why?_

\- What kind of question is that?!

 _I’m just wondering what happened to all that love, all that devotion, all the trust that you gave to him_.

She could feel his hurt and she could feel his fear. It mixed inside him in a maelstrom of confused and dark thoughts that he refused to address. It was completely unhealthy and it blinded Takashi from the love that he obviously still have for Keith, but Black still had hope that he would come to his senses and heal someday soon.

\- It was misplaced. He was a liar and a traitor from the very start.

_He told us otherwise and I believe in Keith._

Shiro stood.

\- I don’t.

He walked to her exit. Black didn’t opened it just yet.

_You didn’t even asked how badly hurt he is._

The paladin glared up.

\- I really don’t care.

It was a half-lie. Black could sense that there was a small part of him that cared, a small part of him that still wanted. However, that part was always silenced by guilty, but hurt, by fear, but mostly by cold anger.

_I’m disappointed. I expected better from you, protégé. I believe that you will regret your actions profoundly._

She made sure to let her disappointment go through their link. Takashi was unfazed.

He stayed still and silent until she opened her mouth to let him go.

The Oldest felt scared for what could happen to Red’s protégé.

Their only hope was now Yellow.

Yellow called her little one until he came running to her. Hunk was still on his pyjamas and he looked distressed by the call (his first reaction to emergencies).

\- What is happening!? Where is the emergency? Is it the Galra? Is it another attack? Is everybody ok?

_Hunk, calm down, little one. We have an emergency! One of your friends is seriously hurt!_

He stared at her panel feeling lost.

\- I don’t understand! We were all fine after the mission!

_No you weren’t! Red’s little one had been shot and no one helped him to a healing cocoon! And now he is really ill!_

Hunk seemed to relax and rolled his eyes.

\- You mean the Galra? Coran said that he had torn the Red Paladin’s armour.

_Hunk, he is hurt!_

\- Yeah, he probably deserves that.

She growled exasperated and furious with her little one heartlessness.

_Hunk Garett!_

Yellow didn’t need to say another thing. Her wonderful little one got to all the right conclusions by himself.

At least, all the right conclusions that could save Keith on that moment (they still need to work on some of the wrong ones).

\- I KNOW that you believe that he is not a spy, but look! He is totally a spy! There is no other explanation! He is giving our position! He totally deserves to get shot! But if he was shot, he doesn’t deserves to die. Like, not if we can help. We should defend everyone, even people who don’t deserve, like him. We should **help** everyone in need.

He stopped and blinked.

\- You tricked me! You tricked me into siding with the Galra!

_I did no such thing. You were the one that got your head in the right place by your own._

\- But he is Galra! We talked about it before, Yellow!

_And you are saying that an entire race is perverse by nature?_

\- Well, not exactly…

She could see that there was a small beacon of hope inside him. Hope that he would see through the Voltron team bias. Hope for a change. He still cared enough. Enough to maybe question the status quo. She needed to explore that opening, no matter how small it was.

However, Yellow also could feel Red’s distress. They need to act fast.

_There is no time now, little one. Or Keith might die. You have to do something!_

He groaned.

\- Yeah, I have to.

While he opened a communication link with Coran, Yellow essence touched the cluster that were her sisters reunited around Red.

“My little one will help!”

They all were relieved. Tension slipped out of Red.

“Just hang in there”.

Coran accepted the call soon enough. Yellow watched.

\- Hunk? What is the problem, kiddo?

\- Urg, my Lion woke me up because of the Galra.

Yellow puffed indignantly for the insidious treatment that they were giving Keith, but stayed quiet on that moment (she didn’t want to mess with the call that could save the boy’s life).

\- Whaaaat?! – Coran seemed more alert – Did that thing stole the Red Lion?

\- Hum, no. Apparently he needs medical attention.

The Altean rolled his eyes.

\- Yeah, yeah, he mentioned something. He was just being a lazy ass as always.

She growled, but still said nothing.

\- I don’t think so, Coran. The Lions seem worried. Maybe we should check it out.

Coran snorted.

\- Very well, if you insist. I’ll just have to inform the princess of that.

Yellow interrupted.

_You will need to go pick him up inside Red. He is very ill, little one._

Hunk sighed.

\- Ok, I’ll go checking him inside Red in the meanwhile.

He exited his Lion.

Yellow essence floated to where all her sisters were nested around Red and her little one.

“He is coming! Help in on the way!”

Red sighed in relief while she kept singing to her cub.

Blue still sang along.

Green watched the boy’s vital signs.

Yellow’s essence hold all of them, giving comfort.

Black watched what was happening through Red’s eyes.

She was the first to notice that the Alteans, Yellow’s protégé and her own protégé were there.

“Red, open your mouth. They are here.”

Red obeyed and she felt that only Yellow’s cub entered.

The Yellow paladin walked until her cockpit and soon enough he was with Keith. He touched the Red paladin’s forehead to see if there was a fever.

Keith opened his eyes with difficulties.

\- Hunk… Please… I need help…

He was still having troubles breathing.

\- No shit, Sherlock. – Hunk rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Yellow growled (even if her little one couldn’t hear). She expected better from him!

Keith groaned.

\- Please…

That broke all the Lions’ hearts. That boy was obviously in great pain! How could they all be so insensitive to another being suffering?

Instead of taking him already, Hunk grumbled.

\- It is just a fever. She woke me up just for a simple fever! – he complained while inspecting the shot area, removing the improvised bandages.

The area around the shot was full of pus and it smelled terrible. The skin around it was mauve. Hunk seemed unfazed.

“I’m sorry!” Yellow apologized “He is better than that! I swear!”

The Oldest send some soothing waves to her sister.

“It is fine, Yellow. We all expected better from our paladins. The only one yet to disappoint is Keith and we need to save his life right now”.

The Yellow paladin grumbled again.

\- Ok, this looks _that_ bad, I agree. – he talked to himself – Ok, I’ll take you to a healing pod.

Keith sighed in relief. All the Lions sighed in relief.

\- Thank you… Thank you **so** much…

Hunk grumbled again and looked away.

\- I don’t care. – he said to himself in his grumble, but his expression said the exact opposite.

With little care, he picked Keith on his back and carried him outside. Red kept singing until he was out of her.

They watched them walking away with Keith on Hunk’s shoulders.

“Now we can only wait”. The Oldest said.

Red growled.

“I HATE waiting”.

“Now, tell us something we don’t know” Green complained.

Red growled again, this time louder. But before they end up in a fight, Black intervened.

“Ladies. Focus. This is not time for arguments.”

Red’s anger flashed through her connection with her sisters.

“I **demand** that we do something!”

“We are already doing, Red!” Yellow tried to placate her sister wrath “We are talking-“

“Talking is doing NOTHING to help my cub!” she roared “They are still overlooking and mistreating him! I demand blood!”

Blue would roll her eyes if she could (too used to her sis dramatic ways).

Green puffed with anger.

Yellow tried to soothe them all.

“What do you expect!?” Green shouted “A sacrifice? For the Lion Goddess, Red, we are not barbarians!”

“Yet your cubs behave like barbarians! Your cub was especially despicable!”

“Don’t you dare to bring my apprentice to this discussion!”

“Fight me, Green!”

“ENOUGH!” Black demanded, and when the Oldest gives an order, they all obey.

Black sent a new soothing wave to them before speaking again.

“Red, we cannot demand blood from our paladins”

“HÁ!” Green bragged. Red growled.

“ _However_ ,” Black continued “More harsh measures must be taken. We still have to talk with ours protégés, but we must show them that we are not just talking. We must show that only good people deserve the right to be paladins”.

Yellow, Green and Blue touched the Oldest essence with confusion.

“You are saying that…”

“That only good cubs deserve to ride the Lions” Red translated “Meaning that you have to ground your cubs.”

The three gasped.

“You can’t be serious!” Green shouted.

“They are not bad kittens!” Blue added.

“They are good!” Yellow cried.

“I agree” Black said “they are good people. But even good people can do terrible things when they refuse to see beyond their own beliefs, when they refuse to see another being as a person. What we have been seeing is a systematic attempt to make Keith fit the ‘enemy’ category, no matter how brave and selfless he acts and how he screams the truth to them”.

They stayed in a pondering silence.

“They are even refusing to say his name!” Red added desperately “How can you not see how we desperately need to take some more harsh measures!?”

They stayed in silence for some moments more.

“You do have a point” Green agreed grudgingly “But, to ground our apprentices! In a time of war!”

“A war with lost ethics is a lost war, even with victory. We need to keep our pilots from reaching us”. Black mused.

“But you have to keep trying to talk to them!” Red added quickly “Otherwise, they might think again that my cub is the one causing this, not their own actions!”

The Oldest agreed.

“Yes. We are still going to make sure that they won’t lose any fight, of course, but we will call their attention by refusing to fight.”

Blue, the one who loved to cause havoc, beamed.

“Lions strike! Lions strike! Lions strike!” she sang.

Black chuckled.

“Yes, a strike. And like any strike, part of us will work and the other part will do nothing, not even allow the paladin to enter the cockpit during the fight. After all is said and done, the ones that did nothing will call their protégés and try to reason with them again.”

Green sighed.

“You are right. It is the logical plan. I’m in.”

“Lions strike! Lions strike! Lions strike!” Blue sang again.

“Sounds like a reasonable plan…” Yellow hesitated.

“You have some doubts, Yellow.”

“No, I mean, I agree that this is a good plan and that only good people should ride us. It is just that my little one is almost seeing things more clearly. I’m almost being able to show him the truth of his actions.”

“It didn’t look like it, Yellow” Red answered with an annoyed tone.

“I swear to the Lion Goddess that he is almost breaking the biased thoughts. I know him! I know that he is almost there! Entering a strike against him would only break this little trust that I have with this subject.”

Black pondered.

“Since Red is the only one that will not join the strike, for obvious reasons, she will need someone to protect her. Also, I believe in Yellow. Her protégé was the only one to answer our call in a positive way. Even mine refused to help Keith based on his species. So, I agree with Yellow. She will stay out of the strike. However, if Hunk, your protégé, keep treating Red’s protégé like all the others, you will have to join the strike with Green, Blue and I.”

Yellow agreed.

The Oldest seemed bitterly pleased.

“Very well, I believe that this council have reached its end for today. I recommend you all to rest, because our next task is difficult, for we all love our paladins, even if they are on the wrong.” She turned to Red “Red, update us on your protégé status as soon as possible.”

Red agreed.

“Yes, Black.”

They all went back for their bodies, except for Blue.

Blue sighed.

“How do things get like this, sis?”

Their essences started to groom each other, like cats taking care of their siblings. It was soothing and both started to purr quietly.

Red sighed.

“I don’t know, Blue. I don’t know…”

Blue was sad.

“I just hope, for the sake of the team and for the sake of the universe, that our kittens will see the truth soon. Before something terrible happens.”

Red felt her sister sadness and it mirrored her own.

“Me too, Blue.”

**Author's Note:**

> Making off of this story:
> 
> Hello there 8D  
> Welcome to this small spin off of my fanfic "What Makes a Hero?" 8D
> 
> In "What Makes a Hero?" I'm focusing the story ONLY on Keith's POV (even if the narrator is in third person). So I wasn't able to put other people's POV there, but I still wanted to show the Lions' POV about some situations that were happening. That is why I created a spin off fanfic and to keep the two fanfics linked together I put it all in a series, the "The Red Hero Saga" series =D
> 
> Anyways, I had A LOT of fun making the Lions interact with each other =3  
> I included almost all my headcanons for the lions there haha xD  
> Like, Blue and Red are basically BFFs and the best sisters with each other (they still like to compare their paladins, but it is just hamless siblings competition).  
> Meanwhile, Red and Green tend to fight A LOT. Like, siblings fighting for petty things. They still adore each other, but they cannot stand each other haha (It reminds me of one of my sisters and me haha).  
> Black is the Oldest and the wisest. She is the boss.  
> Each Lion have a way to call their paladins.  
> Red, Blue and Yellow are the most affectionate and call their paladins:  
> Red = Cub  
> Blue = Kitten  
> Yellow = Little one  
> Green and Black are a little less affectionate so they call their paladins:  
> Black = Protégé/Protégée/Protege  
> Green = Apprentice  
> I don't know from where this headcanon came from, honestly. I just don't think that they would call the paladins the same thing. Each of them have a personality, you know.
> 
> I guess this is what I can think right now (It is 3 am and I have a test in 6 hours).
> 
> To see the rest of the story, stay tuned to "What Makes a Hero?" =D  
> Because I don't know if I'll make another spin off ._.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you have enjoyed it! Leave a kudo and a comment if you liked this story s2
> 
> I'm on tumblr if you want to find me! (I'm kinda awkward, but yeah...).  
> [@wonderland-s-angel](wonderland-s-angel.tumblr.com). I swear that I don't bite, I'm just a dork with a pink blog.
> 
> Comments help me to get going, you know. Like, SERIOUSLY, they keep me going. I'm insecure as hell and I need to know that you think of the new chapter.
> 
> I hope I’ll see ya in the next chapter of "What Makes a Hero?".
> 
> Bye-bye! o/


End file.
